Darian’s blade sliced across the first rat’s side. It slid in the mud, a rabid twitching in its limbs. The other two came at him too quickly for him to readjust his position. One sunk its teeth into his exposed calf while the other leapt up and bit into his side, its teeth leaving a nasty gash as it fell away.
Using [Determined Strike] Darian was able to knock the beast on his leg away. He pivoted using his momentum, tried carrying the sword into the rat he first struck, but it was just outside his reach. They split around him, circling, black eyes greedy for blood.
The silver furred rat joined the battle, rushing headlong into Darian. His back foot slid as he chopped down, blade meeting flesh, but the rat pressed on. Its jaw clamped around his leg, drawing blood. The other rats swarmed him, biting, clawing. Darian tried to twist away, but the gray rat was strong. One of the rats jumped over its fellows, mouth aimed at Darian’s neck. He brought the tip of his sword up just in time, the rat impaling itself. It clawed at him, mouth frothing with blood, then it jerked once and was still.
Biting back the pain, Darian pushed the dead rat from his blade and kicked their grey furred leader. It wrenched free, taking a small chunk of flesh with it. Another determined strike split the head of the first rat he sliced, leaving just two. Come on then! The smell of blood had started filling the air, quickening Darian's pulse, the world melting away until only he and his enemies remained.
His fangs emerged and with a snarl Darian dashed forward, his sword arcing high before slamming down. The silver attempted to move away, but Darian was too quick. His blow punched through ribs and the beast howled. Another quick strike silenced it.
The remaining rat sprang through the air, its teeth sinking into the arm Darian brought up to shield himself. Mud churned beneath him, and Darian fell back, the rat gnawing him. He tried stabbing it, but the beast squirmed, teeth digging deeper. Two can play this game. Darian tossed his sword aside and rolled, pinning the creature beneath him. Its eyes widened as it saw Darian’s fangs. It let go, twisted, realizing far too late who the true predator was.
Darian’s fangs met soft flesh; his mouth filled with the taste of damp fur at first. But then the sweet nectar flowed, and he lost all sense of time. Much better than the squirrel. He stood after he was finished, blood dribbling from his chin. He looked around and the haze lifted.
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Lesser Giant Rat Blood
* +1 Temporary Dexterity
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I…lost myself. But any sense of shame could wait. He checked his wounds. Only the attack from the silver fur seemed to still be weeping. He wiped the blood away, noticed almost his whole body was caked in reddish mud. I’m still hungry. The squirrel from the previous night had been the equivalent of a snack. He hadn’t noticed until now just how hungry he really was. Maybe that’s why I dreamed of the lake? Darian picked up a fresh rat.
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Enemies Defeated
[Giant Rat Lv. 1]
[Giant Rat Lv. 1]
[Giant Rat Lv. 1]
[Giant Rat Lv. 2]
Class XP Gained: 7
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Darian hardly noticed the floating words as he sank his fangs in. When the rat ran dry, he moved on to the grey fur but stopped. I will save you for last. A measure of disgust squirmed deep inside him, but it was short lived. The creatures smelt terrible, but their blood had a unique flavor to it. Still not as delicious as the wolves. That blood in particular had a spice to it.
With three of the beast’s blood consumed, Darian moved on to the main course. The red gashes along the grey fur’s body smelt sweet, almost like honey. When its warm life essence spread across his tongue, Darian smiled. It was truly delicious.
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Giant Rat Blood
* +1 Temporary Dexterity
* +1 Temporary Strength
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Licking the wet from his lips, Darian had another moment of clarity. He looked about at the drained corpses, disgust welling up. No. This was what he had to do in order to survive. And there was no shame to be found in survival. At least that’s what he kept telling himself. He retrieved his sword, picked the bits of flesh and fur from it, and sheathed it as he walked on toward the ruined structure.
It was tall with an arched and pointed top. Looks almost like a church from back home. The walls were consumed by ivy and moss, cracked in places and crumbling in others. One side of the foundation was sinking into the muck, giving the building a lopsided silhouette. Darian paused as he approached. I need to remember to be more careful. In his excitement he forgot for a moment that this was not a game, it was real. His hand pressed into the wound on his leg, the flesh still torn.
His unique skill [Bloodthirst] had healed his minor wounds, but this one seemed to be sticking. Darian winced as his hand pulled away. Slow and steady. Assume there are more enemies. Never get cocky. Caution first, always. He repeated the mantra he’d told himself each time he died in an RPG, though he endeavored to actually follow it this time. His foot touched a loose board in the structure’s entrance. And always check for traps.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Sword still drawn, he inched forward, a tentative foot tapping at the rotted hardwood. He sniffed, mostly on instinct. The stench of rats filled the large room, puckering his nose. Old pews sat discarded along the walls, a pulpit standing a lonely sentinel across from the arched doorway. Sensing nothing living, Darian relaxed, but only slightly. His feet moved silently, a worn chest in the corner drawing his attention.
The wooden edges of the chest showed the places where the rats had gnawed, but the container was solid, made of thick oak. Darian pulled on the iron clasp. Locked. He looked around, figured the key was probably long gone. His dull blade cracked across the bronze claps of the chest, bending it. Another strike freed it, the chest opening a hair’s width. Darian slowly raised the lid with the tip of his sword, ready to jump back if teeth or something else sprang forth. When nothing did, he dropped to one knee and inspected the chest’s contents.
A hatchet drew his attention first. It was short handled, the iron blade surprisingly only a bit rust speckled. The curve of the wood handle and width of the blade somehow told Darian it was a woodsman’s tool and not a weapon of war. The knowledge my class imparted to me feels so strange. Like someone else’s thoughts are running parallel to my own. Under the axe was a wool cloak, blanket, a set of plates, bowls, and trio of small knives.
Darian pulled the cloak free and tied it around himself. It smelt terrible, but it left him a little less exposed. The blanket came next. It was thick and thankfully seemed to smell better than the cloak. I finally get to sleep on something other than a hard cave floor. The other assorted items Darian wanted to take with him, but he didn’t have anything to carry them in. But I do have an inventory.
He hadn’t pulled the grid like menu up since his first night in the new world. It still stared at him completely blank, but his current gear—the sword and cloak—were not anywhere to be found on the screen. Strange. He picked up one the bowls and focused, willing it and his inventory to interact somehow. Just when he was about to give up, a small, oily black circle appeared in the air.
The black circle hovered at about chest height, suspended perfectly in the air. Darian placed the bowl into the dark blotch without a second thought and an icon appeared in his inventory. By reaching into the dark circle, he was able to pull the bowl free from whatever space it was held in. Darian smiled. Looks like I won’t have to leave anything behind. He stuffed the remainder of the chest’s contents into his inventory, noticing something strange as he placed the axe in.
It was slight, almost beyond notice, but pressure was building on Darian’s shoulders. Glancing back at the screen, he noticed a weight was displayed at the top right corner [32]. Guess this stuff is still connected to me somehow. Might be a good idea to remember that and not overload myself later.
With the chest clear, Darian made one more pass of the room. The rats had a small den dug into the floorboards in the far corner. Inside, he found an iron dagger.
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Item Obtained: Rusty Iron Dagger
* Weight: 1
* Damage: 6 + (1/4) Dexterity Modification
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He put the dagger into his inventory and then moved on to the broken door at the back. It led to a small storeroom of sorts, but all the food it housed was long rotted. A few broken crates held some shattered vases. Darian took the only one that was still in one piece. Never know when some hunk of junk might come in handy.
Outside, Darian looped around the ruined temple and found another small stone structure just behind it. Its wooden door had rotted away, and the inside was lined with slanted shelves. He pocketed some string, a leather belt, and curiously picked up the pitchfork leaning in the corner. Can I get this to fit? He summoned his inventory and slowly pushed the pitchfork into the floating black circle. I wonder if there’s a limit to what I can stick in this thing?
Exiting, he noticed a perfectly round stump a few paces away. He approached and his foot kicked something metallic. Brushing away the muck, he found his foot had struck the back of a long-handled axe, one used for chopping down trees. Darian collected it in his inventory and took one last look around. Doesn’t seem to be anything left to find.
The wound in his leg ached, and he checked his HP.
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HP: 67/80
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I should be fine if I come across more rats, then. With a little more caution in his step, Darian continued his journey north. He hadn’t gotten far when he spied something catching the moonlight ahead. Slowing, he circled the strange object. Something dark was caught in its clutches, fur clumped around a huddled shape. He inched forward, ready to strike or flee as the situation demanded.
The steel object was a bear trap and clamped between its metallic jaws was a giant rat. Darian prodded the creature, realizing it was long dead. But not that long, two days at the most. He glanced about, noticed other shapes in the foliage. More traps. His feet edged back, and he paused as his heel touched something cool, something metal. Behind him was another bear trap, this one concealed beneath leaves. Who put these here? They weren’t rusted, and a few had marks near them where the ground had been recently churned up by something. Boots? A tingle went down Darian’s spine, and his instincts told him to flee.
He carefully picked his way back to the ruined temple. There were more traps along the way, nearly invisible if one was coming from the direction of the structure. It was honestly a small miracle his foot hadn’t landed in one already. Wouldn’t that have been just great. He turned. I might be able to use these. The rats had been too small to be the shapes he’d seen the other night. If he put a few of these around his pond and the cave entrance, he could maybe snare one of them. Whoever placed all these probably won’t notice if I take one or two. There are a ton of them, after all.
With great care he pulled one of the bear traps from its camouflaged pile of leaves and put it into his inventory. This thing is heavier than it looks. He had to put it inside with the teeth ready to snap. Need to remember that so I don’t pull it out and get myself snapped by it. He decided to only take one, the itch of anxiety in his gut telling him he needed to leave. But why so many traps, and why here? The rats had been a bit of a scare, but he didn’t feel like they warranted a field of such heavy-duty design. I’ll take another look around here tomorrow. Fighting his curiosity to explore the area more, Darian opened his map and readied to return to his cave. Just need to find one more location to complete one of my quests. Real clothes here I come! He smiled and took a step.
The metallic *Click* reached his ears too late.